Think from KERA Why America isn’t walkable
Feb 17, 2026
Rachel Weiner, local transportation reporter for The Washington Post, who covers street safety and urban planning. She discusses why Vision Zero has struggled in the U.S. and how policies and politics shifted blame after a pedestrian death. Conversations cover speed limits, vehicle design, transit’s role in safety, and low-cost street fixes.
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A Life Lost Waiting To Cross
- Cecilia Milbourne loved walking on Dockweiler Beach near LAX and often took her dog Gucci there.
- While waiting to cross Vista Del Mar she was struck and killed when a car veered off the road and flipped down the cliff.
Vision Zero's System-Focused Ethos
- Vision Zero treats traffic deaths as preventable and focuses on redesigning systems rather than blaming individuals.
- The U.S. lacked federal and state support, limiting cities' power to change dangerous state-run arterial roads.
How Speed Limits Encourage Fast Driving
- Many U.S. speed limits used the 85th percentile rule, raising limits to match common driving speeds.
- That outdated rule encourages higher speeds even as pedestrian vulnerability has increased with bigger, heavier cars.